[TheLoneRoger]

We currently have a puppy that chews everything - even things with thorns, like roses and raspberry canes.
It's time to put the bean poles out, but she seems particularly fond of canes, so I'm wondering if anyone knows of anything you could treat the canes with, like the stuff you put on fingernails to stop nail biting, that might deter a puppy, but not upset the beans.
 My first thought was creosote, but would that be a problem to the bean plants?
Any suggestions welcome - keeping the dog out of the garden or even fencing off the beans is not really an option...
Cheers
Roger

[Goosegirl]

Creosote? Noooo! Despite you not being able to buy the real stuff anymore, I wouldn't like to use its substitute  anywhere, especially near plants or animals. Can you not surround the bean cane structure with some kind of wire or clematis netting at the bottom, though you will have to de-wind the new growth from the beans and tie them in further up? My OH has suggested using metal poles, or give it something it can chew but train it not to chew certain other things as puppies do.

[tosca100]

When Bella was a pup we had problems with her digging. We were able to put a net round the veggie patch (which also kept the chooks out when we got them) but the beans were grown in the flower borders. All beans, with their poles, had a collar of stiff nylon netting round them, not too tight to the plant, you could put a stretch around the bean plot. The perennials had the same treatment and you never saw it once they grew.

This is the sort of mesh.

[Totty]

Rub some chillie oil around the bottom of the canes. The pup will only do it once!

Totty

[barley]

a little mustard paste might do the trick

norty puppy  ( but you can't tell that sweet little face off can you xx )

[Nobbie]

My puppy left the canes alone, but chewed through every runner bean stalk. I think some sort of barrier is the only way.